Round 17: Japan Qualifying

Japan

October 26, 2013

Honda Up Front Again after Crazy Qualifying for Crucial Race

Repsol Honda RC213V rider Marc Marquez qualified second for tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix, further extending Honda’s record of front-row starts at every race this year, after two days of practice and qualifying when the riders only went out on track once, and all free practice was cancelled.

Times were set in a single qualifying session extended to one hour and 15 minutes, after foul weather conditions on the periphery of Typhoon Francisco caused all Friday sessions to be cancelled, and also the scheduled final free practices on Saturday.

The track was streaming as heavy rain continued to fall, but the major cause of cancellation was indirect: the essential medevac helicopter was officially grounded under strict Japanese aviation regulations, because low cloud cover at the hilltop circuit cut visibility below safe limits. With the official hospital more than one hour away by road, Race Direction kept competitors grounded as well, because of the risk of being unable to provide quick treatment in the case of serious injury.

The delays and repeated rescheduling tested the patience of riders and fans alike. Finally the green light came after mid-day on Saturday, with all three classes having just one session – 75 minutes for MotoGP, 55 minutes for Moto2 and Moto3,

Marquez moved up to second on a drying track in the closing stages, to start alongside pole qualifier and title rival Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha).

This is a crucial race for the championship fight between the two Spaniards. Defender Lorenzo clawed back a significant 25 points one week ago in Australia, when Marquez scored zero points after he was disqualified for a technical infringement. With serious tyre-life issues, the race featured a compulsory pit stop and bike change for the first time in grand prix history. A misunderstanding of the instructions meant the championship leader missed the prescribed pit-stop window. The penalty was severe: a black flag and disqualification.

It was the first serious set-back to the 20-year-old class rookie’s stunning first season in the premier class. Marquez won the Moto2 championship last year having previously claimed the 125 crown; and adapted instantly to the much more powerful and specialised V4 Honda RC213V. The first of six wins came at only the second round, and before the Australian debacle Marquez has finished on the rostrum at every race but one.

He arrived in Australia with a points advantage of 43 and the possibility of becoming the youngest ever World Champion. But he left for Japan – third of three flyaway races on successive weekends – with his lead cut to 18 points, with a maximum of 50 still available.

Marquez will be youngest-ever champion if he extends that advantage to more than 25 points tomorrow … he needs to win, and for Lorenzo to finish no higher than third. Failing that, the fight will continue to the final round at Valencia in Spain in two weeks.

Pedrosa will also have his sights set on Lorenzo, in his own interests. The 28-year-old former 125 and double 250 champion is still in touch for second overall, only 16 points adrift. He has won at Motegi for the past two years, and a third win at the Honda-owned circuit would narrow the gap still further.

Pedrosa added a third win this season in Malaysia three weeks ago, following it up with second in Australia as his return to full strength maintains momentum. He missed the Motegi front row by three thousandths of a second

The older Repsol Honda RC213V rider led on points earlier in the season, but fractured his collarbone at round eight in Germany, missing that race, and hampered over the next rounds, though he did claim two more second places while still recovering. A further set-back came at round 14 at Aragon, when a minor collision with his team-mate freakishly disabled his crucial electronics, and he crashed out while challenging for the lead.

Pedrosa has been on the top-three podium at every race he has finished bar three.

It is an important race also for seventh-placed Bautista. The Spanish former 125cc World Champion has a special role: race-developing Showa suspension and Nissin brakes, made by Japanese companies with close ties to Honda. As the only rider using this equipment he has no reference points: his and the team’s good progress in this task has seen a series of strong rides in the latter part of the season. He has not finished lower than seventh in the last ten races, with a best of fourth, and fifth places at the last two rounds.

Motegi marks a comeback ride for final RC213V rider Bradl, who has missed the past two races after sustaining ankle fractures in practice in Malaysia. Immediate surgery gave hopes he might return the next weekend in Australia, but after a brave attempt in the first free practice, he was ruled out. Another week of intensive physiotherapy meant he was passed fit to ride in Japan. His two missed races allowed Bautista to move ahead, to sixth overall, but only 12 points ahead.

Bryan Staring is approaching the end of his first grand prix season, riding the Honda CBR1000RR-powered CRT bike. He has scored points as he adapts to the machine and learns new circuits, but today his time was outside the 107 percent-of-pole cut-off point for qualification. Due to the extraordinary circumstances, however, the team hoped he might be allowed to start.

Moto2’s single qualifying session was the last of the day, run on a drying track as sun broke through for the first time all weekend, reinforcing hopes of good race-day weather. Close and reliable racing is a given for the all-Honda powered class, with all riders using identical race-tuned Honda CBR600 engines supplied sealed by the organizers.

Although it was never dry enough for riders to use slick tyres, conditions improved throughout the session, yielding a somewhat different front row.

Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) claimed a career-first pole position, only his second front-row start this season. The Finnish rider has taken one race win and two more podium finishes so far this year.

Belgian racer Xavier Simeon (Maptaq SAG Zelos Team Kalex) took second place, two-tenths slower than Kallio. This was his second front row start of the season having claimed pole position in round eight at The Sachsenring earlier this year. France’s Johann Zarco (Came Iodaracing Project Suter) sits alongside alongside, his third time this year on the front row.

All eyes were on English rider Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex), making an heroic return one week after breaking his wrist in practice for the last round at Phillip Island. Missing the race meant he lost a long-standing World Championship lead to Espargaro, by 16 points. Redding underwent same-day surgery, with a plate and six screws to repair the fracture. Determined not to give away the title easily, he was passed fit to ride at Motegi, and qualified 15th.

The Moto3 class sees Honda-powered machines pitted against rival factories – and the single 55-minute practice session gave riders a chance to show the strength of the well-balanced design. Five Honda riders placed in the top ten, with the next-best 12th. The best of them only missed a front-row start by tenths of a second.

That was Australian Jack Miller (Caretta Technology-RTG FTR Honda), who was in the top three until the closing minutes, and was caught up in traffic in his final attempt to get back for his first front-row start of the year.

Miller ended up fifth, at the head of a phalanx of fast Hondas. Isaac Vinales (Bimbo Ongetta-Centro Seta FTR Honda) was sixth, alongside on row two. Seventh and eighth were Niccolo Antonelli (GO&FUN Gresini Moto3 FTR Honda) and Japanese wild card Hiroki Ono (Honda Team Asia Honda), heading row three. Second wild card Sena Yamada (Team Plus One & Endurance Honda) led the fourth, tenth-fastest, after showing the regulars the way in the early stages.

“Today was a different kind of qualifying session, like those from the past with a lot of track time, as we had an hour and 15 minutes. It is the first time that I’ve ridden here in MotoGP at Motegi and in addition it was wet and I didn’t have time to set the bike up, but nevertheless I think we had a good session. We achieved our aim of a spot on the front row. Tomorrow’s race is forecast to be dry, and it will be interesting as nobody has had time to find a good setup.”

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda): 4th – 1m 54.542

“It was a long wait, but in the end we were finally able to put some laps in and I tried to get the best out of this wet session. We led the time-sheet for a long time, but in the final ten minutes we had some problems with the tyres I used. I wasn’t able to ride as well as I wanted and we eventually took fourth. Tomorrow we will try to get a good start and we will see if the warm-up is dry beforehand, in order to try out everything possible with the bike and tyres.”

Alvaro Bautista (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini): 7th – 1m 55.135

“I had a really good feeling for the bike during the session this afternoon so it was a shame about crashing because for sure it has cost me a better starting position. We were on a good lap when I ran a little bit off line in one corner and onto a particularly damp patch. Anyway, these things happen and I am still confident that in dry conditions tomorrow we can have a good race.”

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda RC213V): 8th – 1m 55.610

“It was a good qualifying for us and I am happy about the mobility of my ankle. The rehabilitation programme we had in the last week helped me a lot. We must be happy with our result today considering my physical condition. Obviously I had a painkiller injection before the session and I have tried to improve my pace lap by lap. In the last part of the qualifying the track started to dry up and I could not improve my lap time on a rain tyre. Until now it has been a weird weekend but now I am quite happy because I could test my ankle on tricky conditions. It looks like the weather is going to be sunny tomorrow so it will be important to adjust the bike in the warm up session.”

Bryan Staring (GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda): 22nd – 2m 02.712

“Unfortunately I didn’t have time in the one session we had to get comfortable on the bike around this track. It’s a completely new circuit for me but that’s not the only reason why we struggled. The rear was sliding around a lot in the corners, we couldn’t get any traction and now we just have to hope that they let us start the race tomorrow because we have lapped outside the 107 percent limit.”

Moto2 rider quotes

Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team): 1st – 2m 01.248

“The track was changing so rapidly at the end that for a few moments we considered whether to switch to slicks for the closing stages. So we waited a bit, had a look, than decided to go for wets again. I’m very happy for the pole, but conscious that the great day is tomorrow when, moreover, the race will be in a different condition – should be dry. I will do my race, and if I can help Scott, I will do. He was fine, today, but perhaps on dry and with slicks it will be tougher, for him.”

Xavier Simeon (Maptaq SAG Zelos Team): 2nd – 2m 01.452

“What a weekend ... we have been waiting, and then waiting again, without knowing what would be. In practice, as the track was getting better (drying) I too felt better and better. We will do our best, and I am confident of a good race tomorrow.”

Johann Zarco (Came Iodaracing Project): 3rd – 2m 01.484

“Not easy at all, but when track dried up I’ve been able to be very fast. On the last lap I was on a pace that could lead me to the pole, and probably lost it because slower riders in front. But it does not matter: pole will come next race, or next season ... I have a good pace, and my race can be good both on wet or dry. If I can stay at the beginning with the top three, I can play my cards.”

“Today was good – we finally got to ride the bikes, going directly into qualifying with no pre-practice. It was good for us. We ended up on the second row. I’d like it to have been better, but under the circumstances we must be happy. I think the rest of the weekend will be good if the weather is okay … though it would be nice to have a long wet race. That would be okay!”

Isaac Vinales (Bimbo Ongetta-Centro-Seta): 6th – 2m 10.881

“A very strange week-end, with a weather condition that prevented us from riding free practices, and I’m very happy to see myself so high on the board just at the first attempt. The point is that I felt quite comfortable in the wet, and I’m sixth. I want to thank the team – great job. If tomorrow is dry, OK. If it is wet, I have a good rhythm in this condition, and it could be a chance to fight within the top group.”

Niccolo Antonelli (FUN&GO Gresini Moto3): 7th – 2m 11.011

“Concentrating has been quite difficult, with such an unusual schedule and conditions. In spite of a wet track, we had to push from the start. At the end rain was even stronger, and the asphalt very, very tricky. I’m happy with the result I got – maybe I could get even something better: not that much, but a few tenths anyway.”